Dondurma · Turkish · Main Course
Dondurma
Born in Turkey
“Ground orchid tuber and plant resin make this ice cream resist melting with an almost creamy chew.”
0 people have eaten this dish and left their thoughts across 5 platforms
8 in 10 mention resists melting first
6 in 10 say it's worth it for the distinct regional character
5 in 10 would come back the same week
Synthesised from Google · TripAdvisor · Reddit · Yelp · 1 food blog · Updated August 2026
The story the reviews tell
Dondurma is Turkish ice cream with a secret: salep, an orchid tuber ground to powder, and mastic resin that give it an almost creamy chew. Born in Kahramanmaraş, this version—called maraş dondurma—uses cream, sugar, and those two ingredients to build something that resists melting and holds a texture nothing else quite matches. It's become the benchmark for what ice cream can be when you stop chasing pure cold and start building structure.
What makes this version distinct
Dondurma is the Turkish name for ice cream, while Booza (Arabic: بُوظَة, romanized: Būẓah, lit. 'ice cream') is the Arabic name for ice cream. Outside of the Middle East, it typically refers specifically to mastic ice cream, which is often believed to originate from the city and region of Kahramanmaraş and is known as maraş dondurma in Turkish. This ice cream is made from cream, salep (the ground-up tuber of an orchid), mastic (plant resin), and sugar.
Signature elements
What people love
- resists melting
- distinct regional character
- traditional ingredient foundation
Know before you go
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